


Going Going Gone

by stardropdream



Category: Gakuen Tokkei DUKLYON | Duklyon: Clamp School Defenders
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-24
Updated: 2013-02-24
Packaged: 2017-12-03 10:12:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/697143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardropdream/pseuds/stardropdream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes exactly three years, seven months, and two days after working for his company that Takeshi realizes that he’s madly in love with Kentarou.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Going Going Gone

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on LJ July 10, 2011.

It takes exactly three years, seven months, and two days after working for his company that Takeshi realizes that he’s madly in love with Kentarou. (He went back later to count to make sure of the exact amount of time.)   
  
It’s not his fault it takes him that long, he thinks to himself. Kentarou has always been an idiot, after all. Sure, he’s spent the entire span of their acquaintance announcing his intentions to love Takeshi forever and be his bride (he still thinks that last part is utterly ridiculous). Sure, Takeshi’s gotten used to the love messages sprawled out in soy sauce over his rice at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also the notes in the bento boxes. Also the voice messages. And text messages. And emails. And post-it notes stuck to leftovers left in his refrigerator for the long business trips Kentarou has to take sometimes. Sure, he’s gotten used to the cuddles—and the snuggles—and the snuggly-cuddles—or whatever the hell Kentarou calls it now.   
  
He’s gotten used to those things, but Takeshi never stopped to think (never wanted to stop and analyze) that the reason why he eventually stopped pushing back against Kentarou’s stupidity wasn’t because it was easier just to relent but, rather, because when he finally stopped struggling against it he’d actually quietly, deep in the contours of an organ he’d hazard to say was his heart, enjoyed it.   
  
So there was that to deal with.   
  
And following this epiphany, and the week he took off to process this information, Takeshi has that horrible fear that, maybe, it’s a one-sided love. (He’s stupid enough to think it, yes, for all of a quarter of an hour when he considers that Kentarou’s just been pulling his leg and that, yes, Kentarou is stupid enough to keep the joke going for _years_.)   
  
The fear is quickly dismissed, however, when the fourth day into his week-off vacation to sort out the Complicated, Horrifying Feelings in his gut is interrupted by Kentarou flying into his apartment, shouting something about space alien technology curing Takeshi of his illness, and then throwing himself into Takeshi’s arms with all the grace of a hippo on a trampoline.   
  
Takeshi thinks to himself, as he crashes to the ground on his back, Kentarou doing his best imitation of an octopus doing a choke-hold, that he’s absolutely insane to think for a minute that Kentarou’s feelings for him aren’t genuine. He’s just crazy enough to fall for Takeshi’s “charm” (whatever charm that is; Takeshi’s always known that Kentarou is crazy).  
  
So, awkwardly, he raises a hand and pats Kentarou on the back, thus halting the rambling man in the string of a mile-a-minute cry for Takeshi’s liberation from illness via Erii’s space cop technology. The movement is so abrupt and uncharacteristic of Takeshi’s usual reactions to Kentarou’s antics (either Flipping His Shit or Stoically Ignoring, in most cases), that Kentarou is momentarily struck dumb by it.  
  
Embarrassed, Takeshi averts his gaze and mutters, “I’m fine, idiot. Now get off me.”   
  
Kentarou uncurls his arms from around Takeshi’s neck and sits back, blinking rapidly before his face busts out into a completely unprofessional grin that lights his face up and, despite the way they’re growing in years, makes him look fifteen years old again.   
  
“Takepon, the office isn’t the same without you, you’ve got to hurry back!” Kentarou says, not quite whining and not quite pleading, but his large puppy eyes are enough to convey the emotions.  
  
Takeshi rolls his eyes, secretly relieved that despite realizing that he actually _returns Kentarou’s feelings_ , he can still summon the motivation to be annoyed at him. He rubs at his neck and the back of his head, the latter getting a nasty crack on the ground from the force of Kentarou knocking him to the ground.   
  
He pulls himself to his feet, dusting himself off as Kentarou rights himself, still grinning. His tie is crooked.   
  
With a pulse that starts at the base of his throat and somehow works down into his gut, twisting his stomach up uncomfortably, Takeshi realizes that all he wants to do is touch Kentarou. So he reaches out and adjusts his tie. It’s an easy intimacy—Takeshi realizes, with part horror and part relief, that the two of them have had this easy contact since the start. It isn’t unlikely for Takeshi to adjust Kentarou’s tie, especially since Kentarou’s tie is always crooked.   
  
Successfully straightened, Takeshi isn’t sure what to do with his hands. They linger, very briefly, fingertips brushing Kentarou’s neck before he pulls away.   
  
He clears his throat and, despite everything, despite being _a fully functional, mature adult_ , he blushes and looks away.   
  
Kentarou is still grinning inanely, completely unaware of the turmoil roiling in Takeshi’s gut.  
  
Takeshi sucks in a sharp breath, debates keeping silent forever on this matter, and then chances a glance back towards Kentarou. Kentarou is scratching his chin. It’s a completely mundane action, but Takeshi can recognize the flood of warmth in his chest as affection.  
  
“I love you,” he says, abruptly, before he can second-guess it and he knows instantly it was not a mistake as Kentarou freezes up, eyes flying wide open, and hand falling limply to his side. Takeshi swallows thickly, feeling his face heat up, already summoning some kind of insult to Kentarou—  
  
But the insult never makes it out of his mouth, especially since Kentarou is flinging himself at Takeshi again, shouting out something that might have sounded like _I love you, too!_ if he hadn’t been so busy pressing his mouth to Takeshi’s.   
  
Takeshi thinks there are certainly much worse ways to shut up.


End file.
